Hotweels going V8

[Hotweels]

well figger i better start a thread to keep track of whats going on....

so far i have aquired

1 set used stock 1996? 1998? V8 explorer exhaust manifold's $100

1 new 90* remote oil filter adapter (cheap alum one) $45

1 1987 Ford thunderbird LX 5.0L non-HO with 135,000km's on the odometer $500


plan's for the swap

mostly stock 5.0 maybe a mild cam and see whats involved in getting a bit more compression out of it.... 9.5-1 or 10-1 would be nice.

going to order a gasket kit for it as it has a few lil leak's, mostly just the valve covers but while it's out i may as well reseal it all

find a compleat propane system for it with a impco 425 mixer and tank's that will fit in the rear spare tire carrier location

get rid of the air pump.

convert it from EFI to straight propane

possible aftermarket ignition system

keep the cost LOW.... like under 2g's canadian

stay tuned this is gunna be fun

 

[andrew50300]

Subscribing to see how this propane setup work out

 

[410Fortune]

If you use that cheap aluminum oil filter adapter and it leaks (it will) you will have to lift the block to change it out The steering box is RIGHT there.

A Propane 5.0L
Nice!

 

[Hotweels]

"maybe" propane.... i am shooting to run pane cuz it's so bloody simple and reliable for a mostly hill's and mud type rig.... problem's i need to overcome are figgerin out how to get into the 10-1 compression i want for the pane setup cheaply as aftermarket pistons arent in the budget.... worst case i go with a q-jet and adjustable FPR.... EFI is a bit quirky and prone to water damage as i keep finding out even with the stock 4.0 stuff.

i know the filter adapter is prolly gunna leak.... i have seen it on a few B2's with SBF's around here.... cross my finger's that it holds up till next year....

am currently looking for a D20-AOD adapter.... OUCH there about $850 by the time it get's up here.... i can keep the C5 but i do sorta miss OD.... see if i kin find anything used.....

 

[Hotweels]

well.... gave the car a tune up today, new cap, rotor, wire's, plug's, coil, just makin sure it all werk's before i pull it out.... there was so much smoke in the back alley i am surprised the fire dept aint here....

the old speed density responds surprisingly well in the rev dept with good spark delivery.

 

[Hotweels]

hell weekend has begun.....

going junkyard shoppin tommorow for a non-AC RBV heater box....

need a C4 bellhousing and torque convertor.... anyone know if i reuse this flex plate from the AOD or do i need a C4 flex plate too?

 

[410Fortune]

C4

Non AC plenum hua?
Why remove AC?

Nice work! Drivetrain looks to be in good shape! what oil pan is on that sucker?
Also is that an AIR PUMP???? Huahahahaha

 

[Hotweels]

dont need/want AC.... i do need/want room under the hood tho.

air pump?.... errrr nope.... thats scrap metal....

this car only has 135,000km's on it... motor was strong and only leak's are from the valve covers.

i found this on windsor fox's site....

The first consideration is to get the correct flexplate with the proper "balance" for your particular engine. There are 3 things to consider about a Ford flexplate for automatic transmissions.

(1) The balance factor: all 351W engines have a 28.2 oz balance; 289 & 302s manufactured before 1981 have the same 28.2 balance, whereas 302 and 5.0s 1981 and newer use the 50 oz balance.

(2) Make sure you have the correct number of teeth. AODs have 164 teeth. The bellhousing, not the engine, always determines the number of teeth flexplate to use.

(3) Make sure that you have the correct torque converter bolt pattern.

 

[Turdle]

Interesting
There is a very industrial propane dealer in my small town who installed a propane self fill at his self serve gas station, and also converted all of his fleet to propane. He is pushing the conversion hard in this area
I'm watching this one

 

[Hotweels]

dont watch too hard... i spent the better part of the day searchin for my propane setup at the wreckers and came up empty handed.... lot's of crap there but.... well... it's crap.... on to plan B now.... have the EFI harness stripped to chit and am tryin to figure out the simple way of gettin it hacked into the truck.

the plan here is keep the swap cheap.... if i had the extra $1000 to spend on the pane setup i would but for now plain ole EFI will have to suffice since i cant find enuff good parts to build a new system.

 

[vervepipes]

my friend had a 460CI on propane... what a pleasant smell that was, like a BBQ!

 

[Hotweels]

well....... i tell ya..... you just cant kill the 4.0......

over a half pound of stainless steel filings in the oil and washed it in there with old brake fluid.... then ran if for 10min with a rock on the pedal.... nuttin.... drain all the oil out and run for 10min with a rock on the pedal.... finally stalled.... then started up again.... then 5more min of full throttle and the head gasket sprung a leak.... just cant kill a 4.0.... only reason it died is the head gasket popped....

got the truck in the shop and most of the engine bay stripped, going to save the bellhousing bolt's till tommorow and hoist the old mill out.... whut a weekend... next weekend the motor's going in and i will work on the small stuff... the rad from the thunderbird might work if i move it to the outside of the rad support but then i need to move my winch 2" foreward.

EB's have the smaller 11.4" TC bell on em rite? heh... hope so cuz a buddy of mine has a spare one.... that case i kin reuse my 50oz AOD flex plate.

 

[410Fortune]

hahahahaha I bet that was fun, killing the 4.0L.
They are workhorses, heat = enemy.
Other then that the long block will go forever.

 

[Turdle]

well....... i tell ya..... you just cant kill the 4.0......

over a half pound of stainless steel filings in the oil and washed it in there with old brake fluid.... then ran if for 10min with a rock on the pedal.... nuttin.... drain all the oil out and run for 10min with a rock on the pedal.... finally stalled.... then started up again.... then 5more min of full throttle and the head gasket sprung a leak.... just cant kill a 4.0.... only reason it died is the head gasket popped....

got the truck in the shop and most of the engine bay stripped, going to save the bellhousing bolt's till tommorow and hoist the old mill out.... whut a weekend... next weekend the motor's going in and i will work on the small stuff... the rad from the thunderbird might work if i move it to the outside of the rad support but then i need to move my winch 2" foreward.

EB's have the smaller 11.4" TC bell on em rite? heh... hope so cuz a buddy of mine has a spare one.... that case i kin reuse my 50oz AOD flex plate.

You went to all that trouble and fun, and no video for us?
AWWWW

 

[Hotweels]

well i got about 25min of video then the battery in the cam died....

if any of the footage is good i will stick it on putfile.com and link y'all

and if anyone out there is doing a EFI swap lemme point ya in the rite direction... http://www.fordfuelinjection.com/

there site KICKS ASS......

 

[410Fortune]

that site should be a sticky to anyopne working with the Ford EFI or emissions systems. Invaluable to me during my conversion.

 

[Hotweels]

ok..... more parts

going to use the stock explorer fuel lines but need to be twice as long and going to attach to the hard lines that were going down the passenger side of the block and run on the engine crossmember to the stock frame lines on drivers side....

in english....

went to wrecking yard and got another set of explorer efi lines from rail to block then got 2 special AN fittings to mate all the lines up.... so i have stock lines @ twice the length.

motor is in so is the rest of the driveline... i located the mill about 1" to the passenger side and as far back as i could get it.... now i have heater hose issues.... but the oil filter adapter clears EVERYTHING by atleast 1"

more parts i used off the top of my head

TCI C4 157t 50oz flex plate $75
junkyard C4 bell and TC $40
misc AN fittings $50
junkyard explorer fuel lines $5
new 84.5" 6 groove serp belt for smog pump elim $50
misc small parts and solder $10
resistor's to elim the EGR valve an trick the PCM $3

 

[Hotweels]

well...... it run's

still need to sort out the cooling system but i think i have er figgerd... the thunderbird rad "should" fit in the rad support with some severe hacking and fabbing and i may even get a mechanical fan in there but holy crap thats a tight spot....

today i spent about $75 on fluid's and small fittings and misc hoses

 

[Hotweels]

so ummm....... we had to mod the rad support to keep costs down..... this is the old rad from the car in the pic.... i was at PYP sunday and got a LIKE NEW reman rad from another car fer $40..... sweet deal IMHO

now..... all the blue loom is the new harness and it mostly plugs into the old explorer harness..... theres a few gremlins but nothing i am worried about.... still need to smear some paint around and put a few more lil finishing touches on it but i have taken er out fer a few rip's in the alley and the biggest issue i had was lack of traction to really get into er.... but i kin tell by the way the tires break loose just nudgein the gas.... this is gunna be way more funner then that ole 6 popper....

hey.... lookie thar.... a mechanical fan does fit

we had to stay with the cheapass motief awn this so instead of a $600 exhaust system we hit up pik yer arse fer some elbow's.... this is 2.250" y-pipe from a ole chebby van.... ya no major flow here but it werks fer now and fer $10.... yup.... sold

an intill i kin find a $30 tractor muffler it's gunna be a lil loud with a piece of left over 3" tube i had on the shelf.... an if ya look close you maybe able to see the rebar exhaust hanger.....

an whuts the fun of havin a pre 95 exploder with a V8?

you git to keep the ricers guessin.

yup..... spare no expense V8 swap.... think i may have blown the 2g mark tho.... i bought another $150 worth of odd's and ends but i also sold some old parts for $140 in cash and booze....

 

[410Fortune]

Nice! Hows it drive?
I know the feeling! Looks like you did a nice job getting it in there and staying on a low budget.